Atlanta Pit Notes - March 6, 2009

RICK CRAWFORD MAKES IT 300: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Rick Crawford will make a series record 300th start Saturday in the American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“That’s 300 steroid-free starts,” quipped Crawford, driver of the No. 14 Circle Bar Ford.

Saturday’s race will also be Crawford’s 300th with team owner Tom Mitchell and truck manufacturer Ford.

Crawford has a top finish of fourth at Atlanta and will be hoping to chalk up series win number six during the record-setting weekend.

HARVICK LOOKING FOR MAGIC IN ATLANTA: When Kevin Harvick came to Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 2001, it was three weeks after the death of Dale Earnhardt, and his learning curve had just been drastically accelerated. His eyes were still wide with the enormity of his task when he arrived for his third Cup start.

With red-rimmed eyes, industry insiders and fans alike congregated in Atlanta for another weekend of tribute to the late driver, hoping for a little healing.

They had no idea how therapeutic the weekend would be.

Harvick dueled NASCAR great Jeff Gordon door-to-door in the closing laps to win the Cracker Barrel 500, putting Earnhardt’s legendary – albeit repainted and renumbered – Chevrolet back in Victory Lane at Atlanta, the same place it had been the year before.

“Your first win is something you can’t do twice, so coming back here every time is pretty special,” Harvick said Friday during a question-and-answer session with the media.

But since that sadly magical first year of racing, Harvick had struggled dismally at Atlanta, failing to rack up a top-10 finish in the intervening 12 races, until last spring’s seventh-place finish.

“Last year was a good year for us, and obviously that first year was good, but in between, this place has kind of plagued us,” Harvick said. “Hopefully we can continue the momentum we had from last year.”

KYLE BUSCH WARY OF NICE-GUY STATUS: Defending Kobalt Tools 500 winner Kyle Busch is sixth in points, fresh off a win at Las Vegas and has even started receiving compliments from his competitors. It’s a whole new world for the brash young driver, but he’s not quite sure what to make of the newfound respect.

“It’s nice and great to have that, but it’s not something I worry about. I’m out there doing my own deal and winning races and finishing up front,” Busch said. “I’m not sure if they’re just trying to get in my head or what.”

WALTRIP IN NEED OF GROOMING SPONSOR: In a case of “oversharing” Friday morning in the media center, Michael Waltrip announced a developing ear-hair dilemma.

“I have hair growing out of my ears now,” Waltrip said. “I might be the only guy in the Chase who’s got that going on. I did not realize that until yesterday, when there was this little white hair coming out of my ear. I pulled it out and said, ‘OK, I guess this is next.’”

When the topic finally – and gratefully – returned to racing, Waltrip addressed the drastic improvement in his team since its creation two years ago.

“I’m very realistic, and there were days when we thought, ‘If we get out of here with a top 20, that’s a successful day,’ and now we’re looking at top 10,” Waltrip said. “And that’s not just a coincidence, the cars are better now. It’s fun to unload them at the track.”

It’s even more fun to watch those fast cars translate into top results. For the first time in the team’s history, both of Michael Waltrip Racing’s Cup cars are in the top 12 in points. And last weekend at Las Vegas, David Reutimann notched his first career Cup top-5 finish.

“I’m so proud of David, getting his first top 5,” Waltrip said. “I remember my first one of those and it was a wonderful feeling.”

BRIAN SCOTT IS EXTREME: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Brian Scott spent his off-week relaxing with the family. They went helicopter skiing.

“It was awesome; it’s one of my favorite extreme sports,” said Scott, a native of Boise, Idaho. “I come from a very adventurous family, and I try not to pass up any opportunity to try something new.”

Growing up, Scott’s father owned a parasailing company, and he said the family regularly passes time by going helicopter skiing, extreme snowmobiling and powerboat racing.

There isn’t much that scares Scott, although he admits that his first bungee jump made him a little “nervous”.

“I would definitely do it again, but that first step was a little nerve-wracking,” Scott said.

Scott lists helicopter skiing and extreme snowmobiling as his favorite extreme sports, but he actually ranks racing higher on the “extreme” scale.

“There are not many things you can do and just get that raw speed that you get in racing,” Scott said. “It’s a pretty thrilling sport, and that’s why so many people love it and follow it.”